NCJ Number
217393
Date Published
January 2007
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings of an assessment of Pennsylvania counties' aftercare supervision, services, and supports for juveniles returning to communities from residential placements; states the goals of the Joint Policy Statement on Aftercare; and describes what will be required to bring county juvenile aftercare programs into compliance with these goals.
Abstract
The county aftercare assessment found that no county had comprehensive, collaborative aftercare planning and coordination. Few, if any, Pennsylvania counties begin individualized aftercare planning at disposition prior to placement. Although they may identify some issues to be addressed during the placement phase of the disposition, they do not start thinking about postrelease services and arrangements at this stage. Further, the treatment planning that occurs just prior to residential placement is not sufficiently collaborative. Specifically, probation departments are not usually full partners in treatment planning if they are included at all. Planning for the postrelease period typically occurs just before release. The degree to which probation and placement-facility staff collaborate in such planning varies across the State. School representatives are rarely involved in prerelease planning. The Joint Policy Statement on Aftercare developed by the multiagency Aftercare Working Group created by the Governor states,"It is our goal to support every Pennsylvania county in developing a comprehensive aftercare system by the year 2010." This report quotes the 17 components of the comprehensive aftercare program presented in the Joint Policy Statement on Aftercare. For each component, the report provides a brief interpretive statement, followed by an assessment of where counties currently stand in complying with the component and what must be done to help counties move toward compliance with the recommended aftercare component. 7 notes